How to Take Action This World Refugee Week

It’s World Refugee Week, and with an overwhelming number of ongoing crises, it can be difficult to know where to focus your energy. A simple way to help out and make your voice heard? Considering signing the following petitions that demand justice for all immigrants, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

Asylum Seekers Deserve Basic Human Rights

An electoral crisis in Honduras at the end of 2017, high rates of violence and fear of political persecution have driven asylum seekers to the U.S.-Mexico border. Asylum seekers from El Salvador, Brazil and other Central and South American countries have also fled in fear of violence or political retribution.

But the real crisis now is how the current administration — including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and President Donald Trump — is treating border-crossers.

President Trump has set up “prison camps” for Central and South American refugees, designating them as criminals. On this pretext, government officials have seized children from their families and placed them in detention centers set up in border states. The anguished cries and traumatized faces of young children ripped from the arms of their mothers and fathers can be heard in leaked audio and images from inside these centers.

One man, after finding his three-year-old son had been stolen away — ICE employees have reportedly been tricking parents by telling them that officials are taking their children for “a bath” — and being told he may never get him back, committed suicide in despair. With every moment that goes by, the risk of long-term psychological trauma for these young children increases. Public pressure is incredibly important to stop these atrocities.

Prior to the zero-tolerance policy that has been in place now a couple of months, there were already serious issues at the southern border. This new horrific policy did not come out of nowhere. Policies that deter asylum-seekers from approaching ports of entry include unfair dismissal of their claims based on new precedents set by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Take Action!

While the endless stream of bad news can feel scary, infuriating and downright exhausting — this isn’t a lost cause. Please take the time to sign each of the petitions listed above. Every signature counts.

Creating a Care2 petition is easy. If you have an issue you care deeply about, why not start your own petition? Here are some guidelines to help you get started and soon the Care2 community will be signing up to support you.

Susanne R.
I understand the internal turmoil within these countries. There are 20 other nations in the north and south america. The US isn't the closest by far. If they want to come here, and I can understand why, then why not do it legally, like so many millions around the world do. If they want to flee their own country, there are plenty of other countries closer to home they could take up residence, and most even speak the same language as they do, which would make more sense so me.
As for Brian's 2 billion comment. I would be willing to bet that if we sent out a message around the world that the US is open for immigration, all you have to do is find a way to get here, we would be flooded with at least a billion applicants for that sweet deal. What is the difference? That is exactly what Dems are telling these illegal immigrants. If you can get here, you can stay... no problem.

"The truth is, as you've stated before, the Democrats want open borders, and no immigration enforcement. This would cause millions to flood into our country from every country, in the world, and our population would increase to 2 billion people."

Two billion people? Based on what evidence? Where in the world did you come up with those numbers? Were they calculated by a panel of migration experts? A mystic? Or did you pull that number from a hat? I'm betting on the hat theory...

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